Growing a No. 1 Real Estate Team: It’s All About Relationships

By Suzanne De Vita

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When Zohar Zamir began his career in real estate, he had an arduous path to take. It was in the aftermath of the recession, when listings were scarce, and Zamir was determined to double down on the fundamentals—the ones he knew would help him prevail, even in trying times.

Fast-forward 10 years, and Zamir and his team, The Zamir Group, have catapulted to No. 1 in their multiple listing service’s* ranking for sales, earning the highest honor out of roughly 9,000 others. The group has been No. 1 for three straight years, and in 2018 alone, garnered more than $95 million in sales volume.

The Zamir Group

Now, The Zamir Group—comprised of 10 agents, including Zamir, and two full-time staff—is headed toward 1,000 lifetime listings sold. Beyond that, the group has been honored with the New Jersey Association of REALTORS® Circle of Excellence Sales Award Platinum Level for six straight years, among other impressive recognitions.

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Through it all, Zamir has held fast to the fundamentals, and continues to emphasize the importance of nurturing relationships.

“Sales numbers don’t mean anything without happy clients,” says Zamir, who is affiliated with Keller Williams Town Life in Tenafly, N.J. “Likewise, having a client really love you and think you’re a great person only goes so far if you can’t actually help them secure a home. I am so proud of these collective achievements because they demonstrate that our group can be effective for our clients while still holding true to our core values.”

Here, Zamir discusses his journey in real estate, and how he’s led his team to the top.

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Suzanne De Vita: You got into the business in 2010—a challenging period for real estate. What was that like?Zohar Zamir: It was a very tough market—but only the tough survive. I had to hustle. I worked hard and stuck to the basics—cold calling, door knocking, FSBOs, expireds. It was a really rough, bumpy road in the beginning, but after my first year in the business, I saw the potential.

SD: How did you go from an agent to forming a team?
ZZ: As I started to build my business, I realized that in order to fulfill my big vision, I couldn’t do it myself. I hired an assistant and decided to rebrand myself as The Zamir Group, which was unique [at the time]. In 2014, I moved to Keller Williams, and they were all about teams. I thought, “This is the platform for me to drive my vision into reality.”

The Zamir Group on RED Day, Keller Williams’ annual day of service

SD: The Zamir Group has been named No. 1 for sales for three years now. How have you continuously earned this ranking?
ZZ: I like the competition—it keeps me focused and engaged. We’re always working harder on the basics, and always trying to maintain that edge. We’re going to be the best we can, and give the best experience to our clients—in terms of marketing, buyer consultations, scripts…all of the things that create a long-lasting relationship and differentiate you from many agents. We’re trying to create a legacy.

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SD: You’re based in New Jersey, but are getting your license in New York. What was behind that decision?
ZZ: My bread and butter is Bergen County, but we’ve expanded the last few years to Hudson County, Essex County and Passaic County. It was important, for my clients and my agents and myself, to have the ability to connect on that side of the state of New York, especially when a lot of the areas here are so connected it—we have a lot of flux of clients going back and forth between them.

SD: How are you leveraging social media for your team?
Ryan Kagy (Director of Marketing): We do a mix of new media and more traditional marketing. In our area, most of the people with homes for sale are a bit older, so we do newspaper ads, grocery store, mailers, etc., but for the millennial buyers who engage online, social media has been a tremendous tool for staying top of mind for referral-based business.

SD: Finally, what are your goals for the upcoming year?ZZ: My main focus in 2019 is building up crash-proof systems. When you’re in a shifting market, it’s important to go back to the fundamentals and improve your business based on referrals. It’s about past clients and post-transaction relationships, and doing the right things so that when the market slows down, you can still hit your goals.